Fire-escape.



No. 665,707. Patented Jan. 8. |9GI.

^ S. H. THOMANHAUSER.

FIRE ESCAPE. application' med mar, 19, 1900.'.

3 Sheets-Sheet i.

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@am mmmmnmmmmmm 515135515125@ mmmmmmmmm WITN $5556 SENECA NTROMANHAUSERBY H \S A TQRNEVS Huntsman-8,1901. S. H. TBOMANHAUSEH.

l FIRE EscAPE. (Application led Mar. 19, 1900.;

' a sheets-sheet 2.

(No Model.)

lNvENToR SENECA H. TRoMMHAuseR y WVVNESSE No. 665,707. Paened ian. S, Q.

S. H. TRGMANHAUSER ma Escmf.

(Application flied Idar. 19, 1900.;

(no Model.) Smeets-$51661 s.

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WITNESSE. msx/E N1-QR m4 l. SENECA H. TRQm/mwvmwsa 'ab BYWWMWQJV] UNtTsnSTATES ParsNr @tries SENECA u. TROMANHAU'SER, or MINNEAroLis, MINNESOTA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Batent No. 665,707, dated January8, 1901. Application filed March 19, 1900. Serial No. 9,166. (No modela-To all w7wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, SENECA H. TROMAN- HAUSER, of the city ofMinneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following isaspecification.

The invention relates to fire-escapes; and one object of the inventionis to provide horizontally-adjustable means attached to the outer wallsof oiee or apartment buildings or hotels to permit the escape, in caseof fire, of

' the occupants of any office or room on any door which, owing to theheight of the building or for any other reason, cannot be reached by aladder.

A further object is to provide means whereby books and merchandise ofvarious kinds may be quickly and safely removed from the upper floors ofthe burning building.

A further object is to provide means for quickly elevating one or morefire-hose to the top of a building.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as bereinafter described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a perspective of an office or apartment building a plan view o't'the same.

with myirnproved {ire-escape attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview showing the car or cage, the track supporting the same, and theconduit at the base of the building. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thecar, the supporting-track, and the conduit-rail. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the truck or carriage supported at the top of the building.Fig. 5 is Fig. 6 is a sectional View on the line u; a: of Fig. 5. Fig. 7is a side elevation of the carriage or truck provided in the ronduit.Fig. Sis a plan view ofthe same. Fig. is an end View. Fig. l() is avertical section of the cage or car. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section onthe line 'y y of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a detail of the guide on the sideof the elevator-car.

he apparatus which I have herein shown and described is designedparticularly for use in connection with very high buildings, the upperfloors of which frequently cannot be reached by ladders, to bepermanently attached to the building and ready for use at a frame, Iprovide momenifs notice. The dre-escapes in general use on the outerwalls of buildings are usually located at the end of a hall or corridorand are frequently inaccessible to the occupants 0f rooms at a littledistance therefrom on the same door owing to the hall being filled withsmoke or certain of the rooms cut cit from the main hall leading to thefire-escape by the progress ot the lire. To obviate this diflicnltyandrender the tire-escape accessible from any room in the buildin'g,Iprefer to make it horizontally as well as vertically adjustable, and tothis end I provide a continuous track running around the building on theoutside upon which the ele-rater car orcage is supported. In Fig. 1, Ihave shown the track supported at the top ot' the building,said trackconsisting, preferably, of Z-bars 2, bolted secu rely to I-beams 3,arranged at intervals on the roof of the building and overhanging itswalls. The inwardly-turned danges 4. at the lower edges ofthe Z-barsform a continuons track around the building, and resting upon thesefianges, which are spaced from each other, is a truck or carriagecomprising an elongated frame 5, the axles 6 loosely mounted therein,-and the wheels and 8 secured on said axles.' I prefer to provide sheaves9 on the wheels 8 for the purpose hereinafter described, and I alsoprovide large sheaves 10, loosely mounted on the axles 6 within theframe 5, and between said sheaves, connecting the sides of the bolts 1l,which'prevent the frame from spreading and the cable from accidentallyslipping ed the sheaves. In the sidewalk, near the base ofthe building,I provide a conduit running entirely around the building, wherein Iarrange at intervals yokes or knees l2, bolted securely to the bottom ofthe conduit and supporting parallel bars 13, arranged'substantially on alevel with the sidewalk and ,forming a track for the conduit car orcarriage. This car comprises a casing or frame 1-1, wherein axles 15 and1G are mounted, provided with wheels 17 and 18, secured thereon. Asheave li) is loosely mounted' ou the axle l5, and a tongue ZOisprovided ou v IOO l swinging away fromthe 'windowas the econ-- pass overthe piate info.

vided on the axle 22, projecting up through the slot ,in 'the conduitand having a hole 25 anda pin 26 to rest upon the top of the rails. Atthe 10p of the frame 14.- I Aprefer to provide a bracket 27, wherein asheave 2S is mounted with its axissubstantially at right angles to thatof the sheave 19.

The cage or car which I prefer to use in.l

connection with the apparatus heretoforedescribed consists of a box 29,of wood or metal, as preferred, preferably rectangular in form, havinga' closed top and a door 3Q-in one of its side Walls. I prefer` toprovide a large opening 31 in the side of the cage next tothe windows ofthe building, and over said opening, hinged to the'loor of the car,Iprovide a plate 32, having side' boards 33 and `provided with a cord34, passing over a pulley 35 andc'onnected toacounterbal'ance 36. Aliange 37 is provided on the outer end of lthe plate 32 to drop over theinner edge of the window-sill and hold the car tov prevent its pants ofthe roomv the car. i l

Various means may be employed for rais-4 ing and lowering the car;bu`t Iprefer to provide the mechanism herein shown, which consiuts inattaching a cable'38 to the link 24 and passing the same between theidler rollers 39, mounted in the brackets 40, secured to the side wallsof the car upon each side, preferably at the top'and bottom nf thesaine. vFrom the' idle rolls the cable passes up over one of the sheaves10 on the frame 5 and down to a sheave 41', provided on a bail 42 on thetop of thc car. From the sheavc 41 l the cable passes up'over the secondsheave 10 and down between the idle rolls on the oppo-` site side of thecar fronit'lie starting-point of the cable to the sheave 19 in theconduit and from thence over the sheave 28 to a suitable hoisting-engine13.- This originel prefer to make an adjunct of the fire-departmentparat-us, to be kept in the engine-housc ready" for use whenever thereis a tire in a large building t'nat is equipped with my improvedlife-saving,r apparatus.

By arranging the cable in the manner here- I tofore described l am ableto utilizeit to raise and lower the car and at the same time act asaguide for tbe car to prevent it from sway ing or swinging from side toside and striking the walls of the building; during its ascent ordescent and causing damage to the car or injury to its occupants.

As heretofore described, the track at thev top of the building. and theconduit below are contin nous to permit the eleyating apparatus to beadjusted in front of any Window in the building, and in order that theapparatus may be properly adjusted before the hoisting mechanism is putinto operation I prefer io provide an endless cable 4A, passing over tbcsiieav i) and down vthrough and under the bottoni oi' the car, assnownin Fig. 3l, by means ci which the operator can move 'the appara- -by thetrucks bearing upon the under side elf one rail andnpon the upper sideof' the opposite rail.

If desired, the apparatus may be used lor raising a lire-bose tothe topof a building', as' shown-in Fig. l, wherein the bose is'represented asinserted through a hole in the bottoni of the car andbeiug raisedtherewith to the top of the building. This feature of the invention willbe found lo be of great advantage for elevating re-hose to the upperstoladdersor where .a considerable amount. of time would be wasted indragging the hose up a ladder or astairway on the inside of thebuilding, 'l

When not in use, 'the apparatus may be moved around 'to the allcyside 0fthe .building and thecar raised to the top of Athe blank wall, where itwill vbe protected by the cornice and not oier any 'obstruction to thevie W from the Windows or detract from the ornamental appearance of thebuildinig'. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new anddesire to'secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combinatigomw with the Wallsof a building, of a .track supported thereon, a caru riage adapted totravel over said track, a couries of a building which cannot be reachedby duit provided near the base of the building beneath said track,asecond carriage provided in saidconduii, sheaves provided on said firstand Said second named carriages, a cable pass ing over said sheaves, anda car or cage sus pendcd by said cable and adapted to be raisedor'lowered bythe movement oi' the saine, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the building;- Walls,of'a continuous tracksupported thereon and extending around the outer Walls of the building,a car adapted to move over said track, a conduit provided near he baseof said building and extending' around thc saine, a second carriagemovable therein, sheaves provided lon said first and second named ca"- lriages, a cable passing over said sheaves, and a car suspended by saidcable and adapted te be raised or lowered thereby, substantially asdescribed.

The' combination, willi the bnilding walls, of a track supportedthereon, n wirriage adapted to move over said track, sheaves 'IUmounted'in bearings in said carriage, a conduit provided near the baseof said walls, second carriage arranged tin-Winn, a slicave l!) mountedin said conduitcarricge, a .elica e :334

also mounted in said conduiiwarriagc and IZS having its axi'ssubstantially at right angles to the axis of said sheave 19, a'linkpivotally connected with said conduit-carriage, an elevator cage orcar, a sheave 41 provided thereon and a cable connected to said link andpassing over said sheaves l and 41 and said sheaves 1S and 28 to asuitable hoisting apparatus, substantially as described.

4. In adevice of the class described, the combination, with an elevatedtrack andthe carriage thereon"having the sheaves 10, of the elevatorcage or car provided with the idle or guide pulleys 39 and the sheave41, a conduit provided beneath said elevator-track, a carriage adapted.to travel in said cond-uit, sheaves 19 and 28 mounted in said carriage,a link connected with said. carriage, a cable having one end secured tosaid link and adapted to pass between said guide-pulleys and over saidsheaves to a suitable hoisting apparatus, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the building-l walls, of the elevated tracksupported thereon, a carragfprovided 0n said track, the sheaves arrangedon said carriage, a conduit provided near the base ofthe building, acarriage provided in said conduit, sheaves 19 and 2S arranged onsaidconduit-carriage, a cage or car, a sheave provided thereon, a cableconnected to one end of said conduitcarriage and passing over thesheaves on said car and said conduit-carriage to a suitable hoistingapparatus, substantially as described.

In a device of the class described, an elevated-track carriage,comprising a frame 5, thev axles 6 having the wheels the sheaves 9provided on said wheels on one side of said frame,A the cable a thesheaves l0 loosely mounted on saidv axles within said frame 5, the cable38 and an elevator cage or car, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a frame 14, of axles having the wheels 17adapted to bear upon the under side of the conduit-rails, axles 16 alsomounted in said frame and having wheels l8 to rest upon the tops of saidrails, sheaves 19 mounted on said axle 15, a sheave 2S also supported onsaid frame and having its'axis substantially at right angles to the axisof said sheave 1l), a cable, an eievator cage or car, an axle 22 havingits wheels 23 and the bar 2l pivotally connecting said axle 22 with thelower of said axles, 1G, for the purpose specified.

v S. The combination, with an elevated track secured to the walls of abuildin of a carriage arranged upon said track and movable horizontallythereon, suitable sheaves provided on said carriage, a car or cage,cableguides thereon, a cable connecting said car with said sheaves andpassing through said guides, and means for securing the lower or groundend of said cable against vertical movement to prevent swaying orswinging ol the car, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with an elevated continuous track, of a carriagearranged thereon and movable over the saine, suitable sheaves providedon said carriage, a cage or ear, ca-

ble-guides thereon a cable connectingsaid cage or car with said sheavesand whereby said car is raised or lowered, a device pro vided at thelower o'r ground end of said cable and whereby it is secured, saiddevice being movable only in a direction parallel with said track,whereby outward swaying or swinging of the elevator-car is prevented,substantially as described.

10. The com binatiomwith an elevated track, of a carriage arrangedthereon, an elevator car or cage, cable-guides provided thereon, a cableconnecting said car with said carriage and whereby said car is renderedhorizontally as well as vertically adjustable, and means provided at thelower or ground end of said cable for securing the same to prevent'horizontal movement of said car except in a dircction parallel with saidtrack, substantially as described.

ll. The combinatiomwith an elevated track secured to the walls of abuilding, of a carriage provided on said track, a lconduit or guidewayprovided near the base of the building beneath said track, .a secondcarriage provided in said conduit or guideway, a cable connecting saidconduit-carriage and said elevated-track carriage, and a car or cagesuspended by said cable and adapted to be raised or loweredthereby,substautially as described.

12. The combination, with the elevated track, of a carriage thereon,sheaves provided on said carriage, a cable supported on said sheaves, acage or car having a sheave over which said cable passes, guidesprovided on the sides of said car to receive said cable, and a devicemovable in a horizontal direction only provided at the ground or lowerend of said cable for securing one end of the same its other end beingattached to a suitable hoisting apparatus, substantially as described.

13. 'lhe combinatiornwith an elevated track, ol a carriage thereon, anelevator cage or ear, a. conduit or'guideway provided beneath saidtrack, a carriage provided in said, conduit and cable having one endsecured to said conduit-carriage and passing over suitable sheaves onsaid car and track-carriage to a hoistingapparatus,sulistan ially asdescribed.

1l. The combinatiomwith an elevated track supported upon the walls of:rbuilding and extending continuously around the saine, of a carriage ortruck arranged upon said track, a guideway or conduit provided near thebase of the building beneath said track, a truck or carriage Afor saidconduit, a cage or car, and an operati 11g-cable having one end securedto said conduit-carriage and passing over suitable sheaves on said carand truck-carriage to a hoisting apparatus, substantially as described.

IOO

Essi HARDE COP-'Y 15. A fire-escape, comprising aneievated track and acarriage. thereon, a, conduit or gnideway provided beneath said trac'k,a can riege arranged in said conduit, a guiding and operating cableconnecting said conduit-can rage to said elevated-track carriage, anelc- Vator ear or cage suspended on said cable, and suitable guidesprovided on the sides of l seid cer to receive said cable, siibsantiaiiyes described. :o In Witness whereof I have here'unte sei'J my hand this14th day of March, 1900.

SENECA H. TROMANHAUSER. In' presence of- RICHARD PAUL, M. C. NOONAN.

